He’s interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Setting down a little glass of tequila that he has been slowly sipping, he apologizes for taking the call. After a few seconds of florid pleasantries, he looks up and excuses himself again. “I’ll just be a moment,” he says graciously—and with notable excitement. “It’s about a painting.” 

"Once Upon a Time in Mexico" originally appeared in the June 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's June 2008 Table of Contents.